A Second New Beginning
by spiffyxx
Summary: CHAP 7 IS FINALLY UP. Her father lost all their money. She was sent to live somewhere she didn't belong. She tries to start again and gets stuck in a hunt for treasure. Will she be able to handle her new life?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Don't own nothin

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There she stood on her balcony. She looked out to the small crowded city below her. To her left she saw a drunken man stumbling towards the _Ivory Pub_. To her right, she saw more drunks, wenches and several pirates. This was a scene that she saw everyday. It didn't even amaze her anymore. She remembered when she first came here. When she stepped off the boat, she saw something that she wasn't familiar with. A rowdy city. Here she was, a well-off girl from England. That is until her father lost all their money. 

This riches-to-rags girl's name was Ava Benford. As she stood on her balcony, her childhood slowly passed her mind. She remembered leaving the only home she ever knew: Windsor. She remembered all the stories her father used to tell her whenever he came back from his voyages. He had been a man from the navy. A Commodore, in fact. She remembered playing coppers and robbers with her next door neighbor who was about the same age as her. His name was Andrew. They were close friends. It was a horrible moment for Ava when she had to tell him that she won't see him anymore. Both of them cried secretly.

Ava sighed and went back inside her house. She glanced at the old clock hanging on her crumbling wall. 7:25pm, it read. It was time for her to prepare for work at the _Ivory Pub_. Though she had been living in the Caribbean for about 11 years but she still couldn't get used to it. She didn't like the griminess about her. She felt like a shame to the rest of her family. Her aunts and uncles were still living in England in their beautiful manors while she was living in a decaying building working as a waitress in a pub. The thought of her working at a job so beneath her made her cringe.

Ava went to her room and sat by her vanity looking at her face. It was somewhat clean. There was some dirt on her face from cleaning all day. The only thing that shone above all else were her eyes. They were a nice green brown-ish color. There were slight hints of blue.

Ava picked up her old brush and brushed her hair. She twisted it up and pinned it as tight as she could so nothing could get in her way. However, several strands of hair managed to fall onto her face.

Her next stop was her wardrobe. She had 2 types of clothing: Home-wear and Pub-wear. Her home clothes were modest and comfortable. Her pub outfits were more revealing. It brought more business if all the women there wore something that showed more cleavage. Ava didn't like it, but it was the only way to earn money. She could've chosen other jobs, but all the managers were men and wanted her for her body. She chose the waitressing position because her manager was a female and at least she could talk to her when she was worried.

Ava chose a forest green dress with white lace on the neckline, cuffs and the hem of her dress. It wasn't her favorite outfit, but she had nothing left to wear.

It was now 7:40. Ava walked back to her vanity to grab some jewelry but decided against it. It was a Friday and Fridays at the _Ivory Pub_ were especially chaotic. She grabbed the little pouch that was on her bed and tied it around her waist. That was were she'd keep her tips. She made she the knot was on her belly so she would know if anyone would want to untie it.

Ava sighed again and was out the door.


	2. I can’t carry on living like this

Disclaimer: I don't own anything POTC other than the DVD, calendar, soundtracks and pics.

Ava arrived at the _Ivory Pub_ early, as usual. She went to the back room where she found her manager, Susan, cleaning a mug; and her friend, Lydia, who was clearing the counter.

"Well, 'ello Ava. Early, as usual," said Susan, with an almost toothless smile.

Ava smiled. "This is the only place where I'm not bored so I might as well come early."

"Well, be prepared for a long night. It's going to be completely insane here. More so than usual. We're going to stay here for a few more hours extra."

Lydia smiled giddily and walked out of the room to clean some tables. Ava looked confused.

"Why are we working overtime? What's so special about _this_ particular Friday?"

Susan looked astonished. She set down the mug she was cleaning and put the drying cloth on the counter.

"Did you not 'ear the news? The _Black Pearl_'s comin' to port. You know how everyone gets when famous pirates come on about 'ere."

Ava's confused look went away. She had had it with crazy nights at the pub whenever 'famous' pirates came about. Pirates were pirates. They pillage and plunder just the same. Ava shrugged off the fact that the _Black Pearl_ was coming and went to put on her apron.

Susan noticed she wasn't excited. "What's wrong, dearie? Everyone's all excited an' you're just poutin' away."

Ava smiled a bit and said, "Nothing's wrong. What's so special about the pirates? They're all the same."

Susan gave her a playful scolding look. "Oh, now. The _Black Pearl_'s the most famous of 'em all. Have you not 'eard the stories the cap'ns had? Far more interestin' than the usual raidin' of a navy ship, if you ask me."

Ava laughed. "Well until someone proves to me that this captain's special, I'll continue to believe that they're not all that almighty and powerful."

Susan laughed and patted her back. "Aye, that's fine by me. Now, you best be goin' off an' help Lydia. It's startin' to get packed. Hopefully the rest of _me_ crew'll show up soon."

Ava grinned and went out to the pub and helped Lydia arrange the chairs, tables and the small platform they all called a stage. Today's performer was a good friend of Ava's and Lydia's. She was a..suggestive dancer but, like Ava, she was just there just so she can pay off any debts she owed to her landlord.

"So, you ready for a rough night?" asked Lydia, smirking.

Ava knew that Lydia was excited. She knew lots of pirates would be there. She loved them. Lydia always went for the bad boys.

"Hmm, I don't know. We'll see," said Ava, slyly.

Lydia laughed. "Well, just don't go dampening all the girls' dreams of being with the ultimate pirate: Jack Sparrow."

Lydia sighed dreamily. Ava raised an eyebrow and laughed.

"Wow. Alright, then. I won't because I'm not interested. Like I told Susan, unless someone proves to me that there is something special in those pirates, I'll stick to my way of thinking."

Lydia chuckled and looked at the entrance, which was becoming packed. She looked at Ava and quietly said, while gleaming, "Here we go."

They both went separate ways, getting everyone's orders.

This process of taking the orders, being hit on, bring the order, being hit on some more went on for a few hours. Luckily, the dancer was there so it didn't happen all the time because all the men were drooling over the dancer's movements.

Around midnight, things were still rowdy until some people near the entrance heard footsteps inside. The person there gasped and everyone turned around. It was him. The captain everyone was waiting for: Captain Jack Sparrow.

Ava was in the backroom, filling 3 mugs with rum and put them on a tray.

"Oi, Ava! He's here! Sparrow's here!" squealed Lydia as she poked her head from the pub.

All of the waitresses dropped what they were doing and ran out to catch a glimpse of him. Ava watched them scramble towards the pub and chuckled.

After a few moments, she went out to the pub to serve the drinks. There was a crowd around Sparrow. She glanced at him and went on to serve the drinks. Unfortunately, for her, she had to walk past him. As she was going back to the backroom to take a break, Sparrow called to her.

"'Ey, love. What say you you come ove' here and bring me a drink, eh?"

Ava nodded and went to pour him what he always gets, rum. As she walked in, she felt a rush of emotion come over her. His voice was so lustful and mysterious-sounding. She sort of liked it. As she was pouring his drink, Lydia came running into the room.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! He's bloody amazing isn't he!"

Ava glanced at her and smiled. "Not to me."

Lydia looked incredulous and put her hands to on her waist. "You mean to tell me that you still don't feel anything towards pirates even after you looked at him?"

Ava sighed and laughed. "Alright, fine. I'll admit that he was a bit exciting. Being famous and all. But-!"

Lydia squealed like a little child. "Ha! I knew it! I told you so!"

Ava held up her hand and continued what she was going to say, "But, I'm still not convinced."

Lydia crossed her arms and sighed. "Fine. But I'll have you know that you'll come to my side one of these days."

Ava raised her eyebrow.

"You'll see," said Lydia as she walked out.

Ava shrugged that comment out and followed her with the drink. She served it to Sparrow.

He was handsome, she had to admit that. He had beautiful chocolate brown eyes. His grin was enough to make any woman's heart flutter. It made Ava's flutter but only a little bit.

"Ye got a name, missy?" asked Jack Sparrow.

"Yes. Ava Benford."

"Ah, a very nice name. I suppose you already know mine."

Ava smiled slightly and said, "Yes. Everyone does. You're Jack Sparrow."

Jack looked frustrated. "Captain. _Captain_ Jack Sparrow. Why is it that no one remembers?"

Ava laughed. "Who knows. Either way, I'd like to have my payment…Captain," she said, seductively.

"Only if you come with me, love. If you know wha' I mean," he said, equally seductively. He winked.

Ava blushed slightly. "I'm afraid, Captain, that I cannot leave."

Jack sat back in his chair and said, "Then I'll wait."

Ava raised her eyebrow and said, "Just give the tip to me when the pub closes."

She went to the backroom and started to fill more mugs with booze for the next hour.

Her shift was finally over. It was one in the morning and Ava had long forgotten about Sparrow.

She put her apron back on the hook and said goodbye to Lydia and Susan and headed home.

It was a nice night with a nice Caribbean breeze.

Ava was only a block away from her house when it happened. She felt a tap on her shoulder. Ava turned around and a hand grabbed her mouth and waist.

"'Ello, lovey."

Ava squirmed in the man's grip. His hands were sticky with rum and old food.

"I've been followin' you 'round, lovey. I ne'er been able to take me eyes off of ye."

Ava squirmed more and was trying to hit him somewhere where it would hurt. But he was too strong for her. He started to laugh as she tried to find a way to escape his grasp.

"Let go of me!"

The man held onto her wrists. Tightly. Ava could feel the blood being drained from her hands.

"Don' ye yell at me, girl! Ye can't do anythin' 'bout it!"

Ava tried to free her hands but the man just slapped her across the face. She crumpled to the floor, while her hands were still being held. The man shook her.

"Get up! Don' make me hit ye again!"

Ava was too stunned by the slap to get up again. She tried to, but she kept stumbling. The man kicked her in the stomach.

"Get up! C'mon!"

Finally, he had had enough, he started to drag her back to his dwelling. Ava started to scream for help.

"No! Stop! Get your grimy hands off me! Help!!"

The man threw her against a wall and started to slap her.

"Don' scream for help, missy! No one ain't comin' for ye! No one care 'bout you! Ye best stop screamin', lovey, 'cause no one ain't goin' to save yer pretty face."

Tears poured down Ava's face. This wasn't the first time she was pursued by crazy drunken men. However, this was the first time she was abused this horribly. This was one of the many reasons why she hated being here.

All of a sudden, Ava hear a click. The sound of someone cocking a pistol. She looked up. She saw a figure hidden in the shadows pointing a pistol at the man's head.

"Just wha' do ye think your doin'? Get out of me way!"

"You don't want to be doin' that, mate."

The voice sounded familiar. So seductive and mysterious. It was Jack…_Captain_ Jack Sparrow coming to rescue her!

"Shu' up! She's mine. Get yer own wench!"

Wench. That word echoed in Ava's mind. She was _not_ a wench. She was not even close to being one. Since the man wasn't paying attention, she lifted her knee and kicked him where it _really_ hurt. The man let go of her and fell down to his knees and then on lay on the floor completely.

Ava pressed herself against the wall, still fearing the man even though he was in deep pain.

"Good kick, love."

She looked at Sparrow, who was smiling slyly at her. She backed towards him and stood behind him as if he was a shield that would protect her. She clung onto his shoulders and rested her forehead on his shoulder and sighed with relief.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

Jack uncocked his gun and turned around putting his hands on her arms and asked her, "You alright?"

She looked up and tried to smile bravely. "Yes. No! I'm not. I-I can't. I-."

"Can't what, love?"

Ava gasped for breath in the midst of her tears. "I can't carry on living like this. You don't know how many times this has happened to me."

A groan was heard behind Jack. He turned around, drunkenly, and raised his eyebrows and turned back to Ava.

"We best be goin' somewhere. This chum 'ere's going to bounce back any moment now."

With a final glace at the man, Ava and Jack began walking (or walking drunkenly, if you're talking about Jack) to her house.

It was this night that would change Ava's life forever.

Hehe, cheesy cliffhanger. Sorry. J


	3. The Escape

Disclaimer: Don't own anything…unfortunately

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Thanks to my first 2 reviewers. :D Anonymous reviews are now being accepted. I didn't realize that they were disabled. Oops.

Ava's walk to her house with Jack was an awkward one. First off, she was very confused. Why would a "famous" pirate such as him, walk with a "lowly" girl such as her? Secondly, she was walking to her house with a complete stranger in the middle of the night. Things could get even worse, as far as she knew.

To her relief, they finally reached Ava's door. She stopped, making sure not to let Sparrow it. Who knows what could happen? He was drunk and clearly not focused. He couldn't even walk straight!

"Um…thank you, Jack-I mean Captain Sparrow."

Jack grinned. "You can drop the 'Captain', love."

Ava smiled. "Well, thank you. I don't know what I could have done without you."

"Your welcome. Are you sure you want to be goin' back in there?"

Ava's hand was turning the doorknob. She whipped around and looked unsure. Her eyes wandered, trying to find an answer. She didn't want to go back home. She'd much rather go elsewhere. However, where could she go? She had no family in the Caribbean. Even if she wanted to go back to England, she had no means of getting there. Not even enough money to get onto a ship. Of course, she could be a stowaway, but what if she was caught? What if the crew were like that man who had harassed her? No, it was too risky for her to be a stowaway. After that incident, she knew to not take risks.

"Uh..I don't know."

"Well, love, if I may be so bold as to interject my opinion, I'd say you're not so well off here. Who knows what other danger may lurk 'ere, eh? Come with me, love, and we can sail 'cross the seven seas, raiding, pillaging, plundering and otherwise pilfering our weasly black guts out. What say you to that?"

This made Ava chuckle. "Thank you, Sparrow, but..my place is here. I'm perfectly used to those kinds of men lurking about. It's this stupid dress that gets me into trouble. It's-."

"Hmm, I see. This isn't wha' you said to me before, love."

Ava leaned against her door, frustrated. She wanted to go to sleep, not discuss her future plans here with a pirate. She had a long day and all she want to do is lay in her bed and rest.

"Look-Ok, yes, I did say that. I can't stand living here but where am I supposed to go, Sparrow? Does it look like I can go anywhere? If I did, I would've done it long ago! If my stupid father kept his finances together, I'd still be in England and right about now, I'd be having some tea and biscuits with my family in my manor! Yes, that's right! I was rich. But now, I was forced to come to _this_ place and rot for the rest of my life! So, yes, I don't want to be here. Life here is too horrible for me to bear. I want to leave this place. Nothing is waiting for me here. I serve no purpose in this god-forsaken piece of land they call a city except serving men in bars and being toyed around with."

Ava's rant took all the breath away from her. She was gasping for breath. Jack was taken aback when she let all her bottled up feelings spill out.

"So, what's your point, love?"

Ava's hands curled up into fists, ready to hurt someone. Jack realized this and held up his own hands, as if to shield himself.

"Before you 'urt me, love, hear me out. You say you've got nothin' here for you. So, why are you still 'ere? If you long for freedom, I can give it to you because I have it. I can give you a life that one can only dream about. I can give you nearly all the splendors of life. But it won't happen if you stay here in said god-forsaken piece of land."

Ava looked around, nervously, considering his words. He hadn't done any harm to her, yet. He did save her. She hated this city. To her, at the moment, the only logical thing to do would be to leave and who better to go with than _the_ Captain Jack Sparrow. He was possibly the most famous pirate of the time and probably the most adventurous.

"I don't know if I can trust you. You're a pirate. But, you do make a valid point."

Jack smiled, obviously pleased for changing her mind, slightly.

"I always do, love."

"I'll consider it. Thank you."

Jack nodded. "Aye. Me ship leaves tomorrow at noon."

Ava nodded as she watched Jack walk off, surprised that he never stumbled or fell onto the floor. Anyone who can walk the way he did and not fall must have an amazing sense of balance which didn't make any sense because Jack must've had several rounds of rum.

Ava opened the door to her house, walked in and locked it. She walked around her house, absent mindedly. She thought about Jack's offer. She knew that she should do it, but she was skeptical. She wasn't completely sure about Jack. He was strange and different. One of the most obvious differences was the fact that he was far more handsome than the rest of the men here but that was beside the point.

So many things were running through her mind that it made it very hard for Ava to concentrate. She was already planning her life as a pirate. At the same time, she was scolding herself for even thinking about leaving. Her mind was going 40 ways at the same time.

"Ok, ok, Ava. Calm down. Let's think rationally," muttered Ava to herself.

She felt like a fool, talking to herself, but she had no one else to talk to and it seemed like the only way to clear her mind.

"Ok, do I want to go or do I not? Well, I have nothing here for me. So, that's one point to leaving. On the other hand, where am I supposed to go or stay? So, there's two to staying. On the _other_ hand, I'd be exploring the world, which was something I've always wanted to do. Two points, so far, for leaving. I won't see any psychotic drunks there…hopefully. So, I guess, there's half a point to staying and leaving. Two and a half points each for-."

Ava stopped pacing around. She snapped her head up and let out a short breath.

"Oh, what am I doing? I've never liked this place. It's covered in grime and it's a horrible place for a young girl like me. And anyways, what am I going to do here all my life? Work in that bar? To hell I won't!"

It seemed as if a bright door had been opened for Ava. She started to smile, a genuine smile that meant the whole world to her.

Ava started to run for her room and pulled out an old satchel that she had brought from England. She started to rummage through her wardrobe, picking out random outfits. She was in too much excitement to even think about what to bring.

"To hell I won't work in that bar! I'm not going to grow old and remain a waitress! I want to see the world!"

Ava picked up her already full bag and ran to her vanity. She took some jewelry, just in case she had to bargain with anyone for something useful.

Ava took her last look as the girl working in a pub. She looked into her own eyes and said goodbye to the girl she has known for the past 11 years. She grinned and bit her lip, just to keep her from laughing manically. She closed her eyes and took a deep, relieving breath and headed for the door.

Just as Ava touched her doorknob, she felt a pang of sadness. This was the last time she'd ever be here. She had spent a good 11 years in that house. The house was a part of her. Ava shook her head and reminded herself that she'd be having a new life; a life worth living.

She opened the door and left her past behind her and ran towards her future.


	4. The First Voyage

Yay 4 reviews! Review more please. It makes me feel as if I have a purpose in the world. Not really, but I just like reviews. :D

Ava stood before the _Black Pearl_. She was in awe. She had never seen anything so majestic or mysterious. The _Pearl_ was everything a ship of the royal navy was not. It was dark and had an interesting story behind it. She was beginning to see what drew people to Jack and his ship. They both seemed to have millions of stories locked up.

Ava looked around and tried to find an entrance to the _Pearl_. She hadn't been on a ship in 11 years. She almost forgot what one looked like, but that was impossible because she lived…well, used to live by the sea.

After several moments of staring at the ship, Ava found an entrance. She walked up the plank that led to the ship and felt powerful once she put her foot on the ship itself. She felt like a pirate. Then, she began to wonder if she had to ask permission to be aboard. Ava shrugged and set out to find Sparrow.

However, Sparrow found her.

"Back so soon, love."

Ava spun around and smiled shyly.

"Yes, I've thought about what you've said. You're right."

Jack grinned, his gold teeth glistening. "Wonderful! I say we celebrate! A few rounds of rum, eh?"

Ava chuckled and shook her head. "No, Captain, that's fine. Besides, I think you had a bit too much at the pub. Its past midnight and I've had a hard day. I'd like to sleep."

Jack winked and said, "I know exactly wha' you mean, love. Come, darling."

Jack took her wrist and guided her to a room. Ava's eyebrow rose and she half laughed.

"Darling? What are you trying to do, Jack?"

They stopped in front of a door.

While he turned the doorknob, Jack said, "Absolutely nothing, love."

He opened the door. There was a big bed in the center of the room. A cloud of rum-smelling air passed them. Ava cringed.

"Sparrow, if you think you've managed to trick me into staying in your room, you're dead wrong. New room. Now."

Jack looked crestfallen. "No one falls for this anymore."

"Word travels quickly of your doings."

Jack shrugged off the comment, put an arm around Ava and once again guided her to another room which was a few doors down from his own. Ava curiously looked at the arm around her shoulders. What was he trying to do? If he was trying to seduce her, it was not working at all. She had too many other things to think about.

Jack opened the door to another cabin which looked frighteningly worse than his. It was small, dusty and the bed was pretty much a cot. Ava didn't care. A bed was a bed.

She turned to face Jack and peeled his arm from her shoulders.

"Thank you, Jack, again. And if you're thinking about coming in here, forget it."

Jack clasped his hands together and nodded. "Of course, love. Nighty night."

Ava smiled and walked into her new room. She shut the door and took a deep breath. She went over to an old, decaying table and set down her bag. She walked to her bed and dusted the covers until they were cleaner.

She lied down and sighed happily. Though the bed wasn't particularly comfortable, it was better than nothing.

Ava woke up to shouting and yelling up on deck. She groaned and wished there would be darkness and silence. She felt as if she didn't get enough sleep. Nine hours just wasn't enough for her.

Finally, she managed to open her eyes and sit up. Her room was very bright. Ava didn't even see the window. She assumed that it'd be dark in here all the time.

With the sun warming her, it instantly made her day. She was a little annoyed that she was awake because she was still tired. However, knowing that she was sailing somewhere in the ocean sun and a cool breeze all around her made her giddy.

Her new life was finally starting.

Ava stood up and stretched, loving the fact that the sun was keeping her warm. It made her feel as if she was back in England again, playing with Andrew on a Sunday morning. She quickly changed her thoughts so she didn't spoil her day.

Ava opened the door to her room and stuck her head out. The hallway looked so dreary and depressing. Not letting that affect her mood, she went right and managed to find her way to the deck.

The brightness of the outside nearly blinded Ava. She shielded her eyes and saw the sea before her which was just past all the sweaty, working pirates.

She scanned the deck, in awe of how great of a choice she made. She smiled to herself and went to find Jack, not wanting to look as if she ended up here on accident.

To her right was a staircase which Ava decided to take. Up there, she saw Jack, steering the ship in all his glory. The sight made her chuckle but also made her realize that he's a serious pirate and that she shouldn't really interfere with his plans. After all, what did she know about pirating? Next to nothing.

Jack spotted her and grinned.

"Morning, love. Sleep well?"

Ava casually walked up to him and stood by him and the helm of the ship.

"Yes, I did, actually."

There was silence for a few moments. She looked at Jack and saw him gaze out into the horizon.

Ava felt unusually comfortable on the ship. No one knew her or her past so she didn't feel pressured to act a certain way or hide anything. As far as the crew knew, she was just young woman from a small city in the Caribbean. Or maybe they thought something else…

"So, what's it like steering a beauty such as this ship?"

Jack tilted his head a bit to one side and looked at her.

"Best feelin' in the world. Almost as good as getting rum, really."

Ava laughed.

Jack reached into his coat's pocket and pulled out a compass. It was octagonal in shape and seemed quite old. He opened it and Ava saw the most bizarre thing ever. The compass didn't even point north! Jack saw her lost expression and tried to hide the compass but it was no use.

"Why doesn't your compass work?"

Jack was taken aback. He looked towards the horizon and shut his eyes for a brief moment.

"My compass works fine."

As if that answer didn't satisfy her, Ava asked another question, "Then why doesn't it point north?"

Jack glanced at his compass, then at Ava.

"It's not supposed to point north."

"But, how can it not? It's impossible…isn't it?"

Jack faced her and put a hand up, as if to make her stop talking.

"Love, what's with all these questions? Now, scurry on, I've got me some navigatin' to do. Go to the galley and grab some grub. And while your at it, bring me some rum."

Jack went back to studying his compass. Ava raised an eyebrow and smiled. She shrugged then said, "Alright, but you'll have to tell me the history of your cursed compass sooner or later."

Jack raised a hand and waved her off.

Ava managed to find the galley by herself. She considered asking the crew, but decided against it. They didn't look like they wanted to be interrupted. Either way, Ava found the galley. She wasn't surprised when she didn't find anyone in there. She was definitely not appalled with the fact that it wasn't clean.

Ava's number one priority, at the moment, was to sort out the galley. It was a small scale copy of the city she once lived in. She didn't want to be reminded of that so the only solution was to get rid of the scum as fast as possible.

Ava bravely decided to touch the pots and pans. Some of them stuck together.

For the next two hours, Ava cleaned the galley from top to bottom. It wasn't exactly how she pictured starting her new life aboard a pirate ship, but someone had to clean it. Who knows how long ago it must've been since it was last cleaned.

Finally, Ava could focus on breakfast. There was a door in the back of the galley which should contain food. It seemed logical because it was the kitchen. She opened the door and was relieved when she didn't smell rotting food. At least they had fresh food. She took some ingredients and set out to making food.

Ava was halfway through making pasta when she heard footsteps. She assumed Jack was coming downstairs.

"Jack, if you're waiting for your precious rum, it can wait. I just spent two hours cleaning this place you call a kitchen. Do you even realize how dirty it was in here?"

Someone came into the galley, but it most definitely wasn't Jack. This was a boy, maybe several years older than her, carrying a basket of apples. He couldn't be no older than twenty. He had dirty blonde hair and green eyes. He was fairly well build, no doubt from all the work he did on the _Pearl_.

"Oh, hi. Sorry. I thought you were Jack."

The boy smiled cheerfully, "No, I'm the keeper of the galley."

Ava felt embarrassed. She looked down and bit her lip while smiling. She looked back up and ashamedly said, "Oh, I'm so sorry. My apologies. I didn't know…"

The boy set down the basket on the counter and smiled again.

"That's alright. What are you doing down here anyway? I didn't know you were on board this ship."

"No, I just came aboard last night. Long story, really."

There was a sort of an awkward pause.

"Sorry, I didn't introduce myself. My name's Ava Benford."

The boy wiped his hands on his pants and held out his hand for her to shake.

"My apologies, as well. My names James Halliwell."

Ava was excited. James was her first real friend aboard the _Black Pearl_, apart from Jack. Actually, she didn't know what to call him: friend, acquaintance, or savior? He was more of a blend of all those things.

Ava and James began to talk about themselves. James helped Ava cook her pasta while they both talked about their childhoods. Turns out that James also came from England. He moved to France when he was seven and stayed there until he was fifteen. That's when he met Jack. Ava told him about her old lifestyle in England. She even told him about Andrew. While talking about him, she remembered the dark haired little boy that had so much life in him. He was the one that told her all the gory stories about pirates. Though they were both young, it seemed as if fate put them together for a reason. Now, that reason was gone because Ava left England. Who knows what happened to her childhood friend or if he was even alive.

Ava and James talked for about an hour. By then, Ava's pasta was a bit cold. Despite the fact that she hated cold food, she ate it anyway. She really didn't care at the moment because she was very much interested in her new friend.

Soon, James had to leave to do some work up on deck. They promised to meet each other here so they can talk some more. There was much more to be said.

Ava was left alone to finish her pasta. After she cleaned her plate, she remembered to get Jack some rum. She guessed that there might be some hidden bottles in the pantry. To her amazement, she was right. In fact, there weren't several bottles hidden; there were dozens of bottles! Some were empty but most were still full. Ava chose one at random and ran up to deck to give it to Jack.

She stood beside him like she had done earlier.

"Oh, you brought the rum! Excellent."

Jack greedily took the bottle, opened it and drank out of it, sighing happily once he took a very large sip.

He returned to steering the ship and held the bottle in one hand.

"So, Jack, where are we going?"

"Port Royale. A pirate's paradise. Or, it used to be until that bloody Norrington ruined it."

He continued to mumble something about this Norrington. Jack looked at Ava who was on the brink of laughing at him.

"We're going to meet an acquaintance of mine.."

Ava assumed it was a female he was talking about. She started to tease him about it.

"Ohh, what _kind_ of acquaintance?"

Jack looked disgusted. "Who in bloody hell do you think I am, love? We're going to see the whelp. The self-denied eunuch. Bugger, what's his name? Turning…no…Turnip… Turner… Ah! Turner! William Turner. We're going to visit William Turner."

Ava laughed. The thing that struck her odd was the fact that Jack actually had friends. He seemed like the kind of person that lived life by himself, the one who didn't need anyone. Ava was wrong about two things about Jack Sparrow: He wasn't some sort of crazy, drunken pirate (Well, he was, but not like she imagines) and he wasn't a completely serious, pirate-with-no-friends pirate. He was likeable.

So, Ava stood by Jack's side as they sailed towards Port Royal, Jamaica.


	5. Caught

**Yay, 6 reviews! I'd like 4 more reviews until I post the next chapter. More would most definitely be appreciated. Happy reading!**

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Several days after Ava came aboard the _Black Pearl_, she and the crew arrived in Port Royal. 

Ava was nervous, coming to Port Royal. She had no idea what was waiting for her there. But, she felt slightly safer now that she was with Jack. She thought about his "friends" that they were going to meet. What were they like? Where they drunk and unbalanced as Jack? All she could do was wait.

When the _Black Pearl_ docked, Jack let the crew go to get some much needed supplies, like food, water, ship-necessities, and of course, rum. While the crew went rummaging through Port Royal's stores for the items, Jack and Ava took a "stroll" through Port Royal's streets.

It wasn't much of a stroll. More like sneaking around, since Jack was clearly wanted there.

At this point, Ava and Jack his behind a huge statue with a hammer. It was very cramped and she and Jack were too close for her liking.

"Jack..is there any particular reason that we have to hide behind things and stand _this_ close?"

Jack smiled his piratey smile and said, simply, "All part of the job, love."

Jack observed 5 soldiers running past them. When he felt that they were safe to leave, he pulled Ava from behind the statue and turned left. He stood before a door and looked around, to make sure no one was watching them, and entered.

The room they had just entered was unbearably hot. There was a fire in the back corner of the room. To their right were numerous swords.

It certainly seemed like a good hide out spot for pirates. It looked deserted, though it was far too organized to look like it.

Ava was growing scared. There was no sound or any movement in the room. She absent mindedly clung onto Jack's arm. He looked at her arm holding his and grinned.

Suddenly, a figure appeared out of the shadows carrying a sword.

"Jack? Jack Sparrow?"

Jack waved his hands around for emphasis and stated, though a bit annoyed, "Captain. _Cap-tain_ Jack Sparrow. Please, do try to learn that, mate."

The figure moved into the daylight and chuckled, putting down his sword on a table next to him.

"Well, _Captain_ Jack Sparrow. It's a pleasure to see you."

Will's gaze went from Jack to Ava's, who seemed less afraid, but was still holding onto Jack's arm.

Will cleared his through and said, "And who's this?"

Ava suddenly realized that she was clinging onto Jack's arm for far too long. She let go and straightened herself and smiled, nervously.

"I'm Ava Benford. And before you say anything, I'm not involved with him in any way, trust me."

Will laughed and took her hand and kissed it, like a gentleman should. Ava blushed slightly. She hadn't been treated with that much respect since she was in England. She bowed her head in respect when he let go of her hand.

Will was certainly a handsome man in Ava's mind, no doubt about that. It seems that lately, she has been running into good looking men. Ava had absolutely no problem with that.

"Pleased to meet you Ava," Will turned his attention to Jack, who was eyeing Ava and Will's greeting suspiciously, "So, Jack, what brings you here, again, to Port Royal? Another curse you must be rid of?"

Jack strutted down the stairs and said, "No, mate. Not yet. _But_, I am goin' to need your help. I'll be needin' your skill as a blacksmith to help me find somethin' that I'd like to be mine. Savvy?"

Will raised his eyebrown in suspicion. What was Jack trying to hide? Ava's facial expression looked similar to Will's. What was he up to?

"What are you after, now?" Will asked, still unsure of whether he should accept Jack's offer.

Jack sighed, "Mate, you ask too many questions. Much like this lass, 'ere."

Ava and Will looked at each other briefly, then went back to looking at Jack.

Getting no reaction from neither Will or Ava, Jack sighed again and sat down on a chair, leaning back. Ava and Will followed his example and sat down on some other chairs, curious as to what he had to say.

"I'm goin' after the Tresoro de Almas. Treasure of Souls, if you wan' get specific. I know where it is and I'm goin' to take it. They say that every hundred years, it appears for one night. In 'bout two weeks time, it'll be the hundredth year. Each time it re-appears after said hundred years, it goes to a diff'rent spot. Thanks to me good friends 'up river', I know where it's goin' to be now. So, what say you to that?"

"I thought the Tresoro de Almas was a myth. It's not possible that treasure can mysteriously and unexplainably appear and re-appear each time in a different spot."

Jack looked at Ava. "With the things I've been through, anythin's possible, love."

Ava looked at Will for back-up, but he could only nod.

Suddenly Will asked, "What are the risks this time? Last time, my neck was nearly cut off."

What had Ava gotten herself into? Sure she wanted a fresh start but this was ridiculous!

Jack stood up, waving his hands around and reassuring Will.

"Oh, stop being such a sissy, Will. Sure there are _some_ risks such as being sacrificed to a certain god that I haven't mentioned or fallin' 'to booby traps but it's not like anythin's goin' to be a surprise to you anymore…eh?"

Sacrificed? Booby Traps? What on earth was running through Jack's bloody mind? It seemed he was getting this out of some twisted fairytale.

Will hung his head.

"What, you don't actually believe him, do you? This can't possibly be real."

Will looked up at Ava. "Trust me, it can."

"So, what do you say? Comin' or not?"

Will stood up and shook his head. "I don't know. Somehow I feel as if you're going to use me as leverage..again!"

Jack looked around nervously. "Uh, well, we can always find some other leverage in Tortuga. Savvy?"

Will pointed a finger at Jack. "You telling the truth?"

Jack smiled, "Every word, mate."

Ava looked at Jack with suspicion. She could never tell if he was being serious or not.

"Good. So, when do we leave?"

Jack looked at the fire and quietly said, "Tonight."

It was finally night. Jack, Will and Ava were in a pub, much to Ava's disgust. She had hoped to not walk into a pub for a very long time since her departure. But it was Jack Sparrow. Where else would he be at night?

Will and Ava sat together while Jack went to the counter and ordered a round of drinks for all three of them though Will and Ava knew that Jack would drink them all by himself.

As they were all waiting for the crew to be back and for Jack to sober up a bit (as if it was possible), Will decided to get to know Ava, since they would be in on this adventure together being possibly the only sane people aboard.

"So, Miss Benford, how did you meet Jack?"

As Ava was about to answer, a drunken man, laughing uncontrollably bumped into their table.

"Apologies, miss," he sputtered out. The man ran back to a fight that was happening nearby.

Ava grimaced at the stench the man left behind. Will chuckled.

"I was working in a pub in an island not too far away. I met Jack there, where he was so graciously welcome, and he noticed the trouble I've been having there. He even saved me from this man who was harassing me. I was shocked that a pirate would have a noble enough heart to save a lowly girl like me. I told him how much I hated it there and that I was going nowhere, so he offered me to go on his ship with him. Then we came here and I can sense that my life is going to change drastically especially with all this treasure nonsense he keeps talking about."

"Don't think that Jack's lying about the treasure. He's an honest man, for the most part. And eHHeif you were here the last time I got stuck in on one of his mishaps, you'd definitely believe this story."

"What happened last time?"

Ava rested her head on her hand and listened intently.

"Well, to understand this, we must journey back eight, nine years ago. I was on a ship which had been ransacked by Captain Barbossa. He used to be the captain of the _Black Pearl_. I was saved by a ship carrying the Governor of Port Royal and his daughter, Elizabeth. I had a medallion around my neck that my father gave to me. She took it and I never saw it since. About a year ago, Elizabeth was kidnapped by Barbossa's crew because they wanted the medallion back. If they had it back, they could end a curse they had. I went to save Elizabeth while Jack wanted his ship back. Long story short, I saved Elizabeth, Jack got the _Pearl_ and Barbossa was killed."

"Now, that seems more believable than this story about the Treasure of Souls. So, what happened to Elizabeth? You must've been deeply in love with her to go after her like that."

Will looked down and smiled, slightly. Ava noticed his expression became a bit sadder.

"What's wrong, Will?"

He shook his head and looked back up. "I did love her. I supposed I still do. We were together for a brief moment after the ordeal but we decided to break it off. We decided that it never would have worked out."

"Oh. I'm so sorry."

Will shook his head and smiled again. "It's ok. It's in the past."

For the next hour or so, Will and Ava talked more about their lives. This was Ava's second normal acting friend. First, James. Then, Will.

Around midnight, Will, Ava, Jack and some of his crew returned to the _Pearl_. Jack ordered Gibbs to steer the ship towards Tortuga where they needed to find some lonely, miserable soul to use as a sacrifice.

Several days later, the crew arrived in Tortuga in the evening.

Once again, Jack, Will and Ava walked into yet another pub: _The Faithful Bride_.

Like last time, Will and Ava sat together while Jack drowned away in rum, whiskey and all sorts of alcoholic drinks.

Ava noticed that ever since they landed in Tortuga, the whole city seemed tense, as if the apocalypse was going to occur. In the pub, Ava wondered what was wrong.

Will saw Ava's thoughtful expression and decided to ask what she was thinking about.

Ava snapped out of her gaze and sighed. "I don't know. Something's not right here."

Will looked around and looked back at Ava. "What do you mean? What's wrong?"

Ava shrugged. "I'm not sure. Everyone's on edge. I've heard stories about Tortuga and it's reputation for being wild and chaotic but this whole place seems very restricted and tense."

Will looked around once more and nodded. "You're right. I'm sure everything's going to be fine. After all, it's nighttime that you should be expecting some chaos."

Ava smiled and brushed off her worries.

About an hour after Ava's worries, Will excused himself and went back to the ship, leaving Ava along with Sparrow, who had currently subsided his drinking.

Jack lazily walked up to her and put an arm around Ava.

"So, love, what d'you think 'bout Tortuga?"

Ava looked at Jack, a bit grossed out. "It'll linger."

Jack put a finger to his lips and thought. "Sounds familiar."

Not wanting to be around Jack in his drunken state, Ava told him she was going to use the restroom. If there wasn't one, she'd pretend that she'd be going to one.

Once Ava was towards the back of the pub, alone and away from most drunks, she heard someone shout.

"Soldiers! British soldiers are a'commin'! Them Brits be takin' over Tortuga!"

As if it was that big of a deal, everyone in the pub started to panic. Big, sweaty and drunken men started to run towards the door. People from the backroom started to file out in a frenzy. Ava tried to get to the door to get to the _Pearl_ but no one would let her pass. It seemed as if she were invisible to everyone. All the men and woman were pushing her aside just so they can get to the door first. Right about then, Ava heard gunshots. Multiple gunshots. It seems as if a small war had been started between the soldiers and the citizens of Tortuga.

Not wanting to be arrested or killed or even left by the _Pearl_, Ava desperately tried to find a way to get out. Suddenly, something clicked in her head. She jumped on the tables and hoped that she'd make it out alive.

Just as she was going to jump onto the third table, someone knocked her over and sent her flying back to where she started: the back of the pub. Her head hit the wall with a thud and she slid down. Ava squeezed her eyes shut and held onto her head, hoping that the throbbing pain would go away. It was no use. Now, her whole body was aching. Her back hurt, her legs hurt and her head hurt. Tears were right about read to fall over the corners of her eyes. Ava knew she was done for. She had no way out. Even if the crowd cleared, the soldiers would be coming in and arresting her, probably accusing her of being a pirate or a thief. Anything, just as long as she'd be a prisoner. At least she wouldn't die in the _Ivory Pub_ waitressing or anything. She'd die a pirate (at least, that's what the soldiers would think).

Finally, the crowd cleared and there was not one living soul in the pub except Ava. She heard a march of footsteps coming dreadfully closer to the pub. Maybe, just maybe, Ava could cheat imprisonment. Ava grabbed a knocked over table nearby and positioned it just so it can cover her completely. She just prayed that the soldiers wouldn't be smart enough to check the corner she was it.

Then, she heard them. The soldiers were in _The Faithful Bride_. This was it. The moment of truth.

"Men! I want you to search every corner of this bar and bring me any prisoners. Half of you come with me! We shall search the streets of this dreadful place. The rest of you, make sure no one is in here and report to me if anyone is found!"

Half the men left with the General as instructed. There were about five men left in the pub. There was some murmuring going on between the soldiers.

"Nah, I don't think anyone's in here. Let's go."

Several soldiers came towards the back of the pub but never actually got there.

"Yeah, don't think no one's here. I don't here anything."

The rest of the soldiers agreed and left.

Ava had been squeezing her eyes shut and praying that she wouldn't be discovered. It was a bit hard since lots of her hair was hanging in front of her face. She was about to sneeze.

Ava waited a few seconds to make sure that the pub was really clear.

She let a deep sigh of relief and relaxed, knowing she was safe for the time being.

That's when her muscles tensed again.

A pair of boots walking slowly towards her.

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**Ohh, cliffhanger! Who is it? Hehe, we'll find out next chapter!**


	6. Brief Miracle

**Ok, I lied. I know I didn't get the 10 reviews I wanted but I'm posting this now because I want to continue it before I forget anything that may or may not take place later on. Savvy?**

**Now read! (and don't forget to review :D )**

Ava's breath became shorter and shorter as the pair of hard boots slowly (and cautiously) came towards her.

Right when she was about to be revealed, she gulped.

All she had wanted was to live a different life; a better life. Not a life that involved spending possibly the rest of her life in jail with other criminals. She didn't belong there. At that point, Ava started to regret leaving home. It was a stupid idea to leave, she thought. She had a respectable, yet distant, family in England and once word gets out of what she had done, her family name would be ruined, as if their problems with her father weren't bad enough.

Ava sat there, waiting for it to happen. Waiting for the soldier to find her and accuse her of something that she didn't do. She wasn't a pirate or a crook. She just wanted adventure and a life with a meaning.

She was taken out of her thoughts when she heard her "protective" shield being pushed aside.

Ava kept her eyes shut, not wanting to see the face of failure in front of her.

"Get up," said the soldier, surprisingly in a gentler tone than Ava had imagined. Despite the fact that he was being gentle with her, Ava didn't move. She was frozen, unable to move from fear.

"Get up," the soldier demanded, in a more stern voice than before.

This made Ava even more frightened. She wanted to disappear into the wall. She desperately prayed that this was only a nightmare.

The soldier sighed, exasperated. He took his musket and lifted her chin with it. As her head moved up, so the soldier can see her, Ava's eyes slowly opened. Tears were on the verge of falling from her eyes. Her heart was pounding and she felt as if it was going to pop out of her chest any moment. Her breath became even shallower. She felt as if she was going to faint. She actually preferred fainting than to look at her captor.

When she looked at the soldier, she expected to see a face twisted with hate and rage. What she saw was the complete opposite. Ava saw a face that was quiet and in awe.

The soldier's hair was dark and pulled back into a low ponytail with a tri-corner hat atop his head. His eyes were a dark brown and very curious. His build was muscular. His face was tanned and rough but looked as if it used to be soft. He had hints of a beard which were shaved off.

Ava couldn't see him properly because of her hair and tears. Even so, the soldier still looked at her, bewildered.

She started to look away, not wanting to feel any more humiliated than she already felt.

"No," she heard the soldier softly say. Ava looked back, puzzled more than scared.

If the soldier wanted to imprison her, he would have already done it.

"Get up," he demanded in a soft, almost inaudible voice.

Slowly and carefully, Ava stood up, trying her best not to look weak. While still looking at the soldier, she slightly straightened her dress and pushed aside her hair a bit.

The soldier cocked his head slightly, confused. He slowly started to shake his head.

"It can't be…" he said to himself.

Unsure of what to do or say, Ava just stood there, not sure what he meant by 'It can't be'.

"Ava?" he said softly.

Ava pressed her back against the wall, scared that he knew her. She didn't understand how he knew her and how she didn't. She had never come across a soldier in her life. She had hoped to leave it like that.

As Ava backed off, the soldier reached out to her as if to grab her hand.

"I can't believe it…" he muttered.

Ava decided it was time to find out who he was and how he knew her.

"How do you know me?" she asked in a trembling voice.

The soldier smiled slightly. It didn't look like a smile even but Ava was sure he did.

"Coppers and Robbers," he said, shrugging a bit.

Ava faced him completely and raised her eyebrows. Coppers and Robbers? It sounded familiar. Wasn't it a game she used to play with…

"Andrew?" Ava asked.

The soldier smiled and nodded.

Ava put a hand to her mouth and slowly walked closer to Andrew. Once she was within inches from him, she pulled him into an embrace that she had wanted to give since she was a child.

Andrew was startled by the sudden show of emotion. He set down his musket and slowly wrapped his arms around his long lost friend. He held her tight so she wouldn't have to leave him again. Losing her once eleven years ago was unbearable for him. He didn't want to go through it again.

"I can't believe it's you," breathed Ava into Andrew's neck.

It had been so long since she had seen him. He had grown up into a charming and handsome man. He had changed a lot since she had last seen him. Eleven years ago, when he was eight, he had slightly chubby cheeks and brilliant brown eyes. He always goofed off and was proud of it. He wasn't very popular among the other kids but that didn't stop Ava from becoming fast friends with him. He was funny and adventurous. His looks were clearly the opposite eleven years later. He had a sculpted body that had been created from working with the British army, no doubt. He no longer had chubby cheeks but he still had the brilliant brown eyes.

Now, tears were really pouring from Ava's eyes. Not because she was scared, but because she had finally found her friend.

Andrew pulled from their embrace. He held onto Ava's shoulders and looked into her puffy red eyes and smiled, still in shock of seeing her.

"You look wonderful."

Ava looked away, a bit shy. She smiled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She shook her head and looked back at Andrew.

"No. No, I don't. Look at me. I'm in dirty clothes. My hands are filthy. My hair's a mess, I-''

"No. I mean you've grown into a wonderful young woman."

Ava smiled, still embarrassed by her condition.

Unsure of what to say, Ava simply said, "You look amazing yourself."

Andrew smiled and let go of her shoulders. Ava looked around the room, feeling awkward. Her eyes landed on the musket.

"I see you've joined the army, then."

Andrew looked at the musket and looked back at Ava.

"Yes. Not by choice, mind you."

Ava smiled and looked at Andrew. She wished that she was there for those eleven years she had missed.

"Eleven years ago. What happened? You left so suddenly. I never got a chance to say a proper goodbye."

She looked into his eyes then looked away, sighing. She walked over to a table and traced the wooden engravings on it with her finger.

"Father. He lost our money. He sent me to this island in the Caribbean to live. Last I heard of him, he was in bed ill with the plague. Never heard from him or my family again."

Andrew looked at Ava. He looked away and looked at the floor.

"I'm sorry."

Ava shrugged and went back to Andrew.

"It's alright. I never cared for the old bastard after he frittered away our money."

Andrew looked back up at Ava. He touched her arm and looked into her eyes.

"Ava."

Ava wiped her face with her sleeve again and looked up at Andrew.

"How are you?"

Ava glanced around and shrugged. "I'm fine. Apart from the fact that I was scared to-."

"No. I mean, how are you? How have you been keeping up for the past eleven years? Word got around about your departure but no one ever mentioned how you managed to stay alive."

Ava sighed, "I don't know. I lived on father's remaining wages for a short time. Then, I was on my own."

"How did you manage?"

Ava's blood began to boil. She thought about Andrew's privileged life. It was her life, also. Well, it had been. Now, she had been forced to do the labor of a common woman.

Tears began to well up in her eyes yet again.

"I had to work in a pub like a dog. I had to run around, getting orders, being touched by men and being spoken to as if I was worthless. It led me to feel just that: that I'm worthless."

"No, you're not. You're much more than that, believe me."

Ava smiled which made Andrew smile in return. Suddenly, Andrew straightened up and picked up his musket.

"Ava, will you do me a favor?"

Ava nodded, not sure of what he had planned.

"Come with me. I lost you once and I don't want to lose you again. You were an amazing friend. My best friend. I want to start our friendship on a new slate."

At this point, Ava forgot about the _Pearl_, Jack, Will or anything about a treasure. She just nodded, with a big smile on her face. How could she say no to Andrew?

Andrew returned a smile just as big as hers. Just as they were about to leave, he faced her.

"Act scared and lost."

He turned back around and walked out of the pub with Ava in front of him. Just before they left, Ava looked up at Andrew in confusion. He just whispered, "Just do it."

Right when they got outside, the General and his men were approaching the docks which were not too far from the docks and the pub.

"Soldier Jameson, what is this?"

Andrew stiffened and played the part of a soldier.

"A peasant, sir. I found her in the back room of the pub. She is clean and appears to know no one here."

The General (who also happened to be the captain of _The Mighty_) eyed Ava suspiciously, his eyes never giving anything away. He never even showed a look of mercy towards her.

"What's your name…woman?"

Ava tried to do as Andrew told her. She tried to act scared.

"A-Ava, sir. Ava B-Benford."

"Mhmm. And what business, Miss Benford, have you in Tortuga?"

Ava's mind raced for an answer. She couldn't very well tell them that she sailed with Captain Jack Sparrow to Tortuga.

"I live h-here, s-sir."

The General nodded.

"And how is it that you live here and yet you know no one, hmm?"

Ava's heart started to race. What could she say? As far as she knew, he got her.

"I don't live in this part of town, s-sir."

"Then what are you doing in _this_ part of town?"

Ava's eyes shifted. Did he see through her lies?

"I w-was taking a walk, sir."

The General gave up. He sighed and straightened up.

"Soldier Jameson, you will accompany Miss Benford to the ship. She shall be in your charge. We will decide what the future holds for her. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well. Men! Back on the ship, immediately!"

The soldiers marched back onto the ship. Andrew walked slowly with Ava. She relaxed, knowing she was safe.

XXXX

Back on the _Black Pearl_, they had sailed a fair distance away from Tortuga.

Jack was by the helm, making sure he'd stay away from the Navy's ship when Will suddenly ran up from below deck.

"Jack!"

Jack grunted a noise that came out of his mouth when he was snapped out of his daze.

"Jack, Ava's not here!"

Jack suddenly looked worried and stared back out to see.

"Jack! We must go back!"

"I would, mate. Really, I would. Alas, I can't."

Will angrily marched up to where Jack was standing.

"She will be locked up in jail for piracy. She'll be tortured or even hanged!"

"I know that, savvy? What was I supposed to do, hmm? Go back and risk meself getting' shot? I'm a pirate, son, not a bloody hero."

Will sighed and muttered, "And here I was, thinking you were a good man."

Jack took a deep breath and let out a deep sigh. "Look, mate, as much as I'd like to go an' save her, again, I've got a schedule set up. We'll be at the location of the treasure in a few days. We pick up the loot and we scurry back to who knows where and save Ava….again."

Will chuckled without the happiness. "One of these days, Jack, you're going to regret not going back after her."

Jack said nothing but looked unsure of what to do. Will waited for him to give an answer but he got none, so he walked away wishing there was something he could do.

XXXXX

Andrew led Ava below decks into a small room that had enough room for a cot.

"Sorry, it's not much."

Ava went inside and looked around. It wasn't too bad. It needed lots and lots of cleaning but other than that, it was fine. She turned around and looked at Andrew and smiled.

"It's fine."

She went further in her room and sat on her "new" bed. She sighed.

"So, do you have any idea of where they'll put me?"

Andrew walked in and shut the door behind them. He walked over to Ava and set his musket down beside her bed. He saw down next to her.

"No. Nothing bad will happen. You didn't do anything."

Ava nodded. "So, where are we going?"

Andrew shrugged. "I'm not sure. Some island to do business with, probably. Then, I guess we go back to England."

Ava's heart sank when she heard 'England'. She couldn't go back. What would she do? She didn't know where any of her relatives lived and she knew that they wouldn't take her in. She was nothing more than a common girl; not the daughter of a Commodore.

She was right back where she started. Once again, she had no purpose and nowhere to go. While Andrew had a family to go back to, Ava would be on the outside again with no proper home.

Ava knew that she should've left with Will when he left about an hour before the soldiers came in.

Will! She had forgotten all about him. About him, the _Pearl_, Jack, and the crew! Would they look for her? Probably not, she figured. She hadn't had much of an impact on that ship. But they could; Will and James seemed to like her. They probably pressured Jack into searching for her. But, what were the chances? Jack's the captain and he didn't seem to like Ava the way Will and James did. In fact, it seems as though James was infatuated with her. During the few days they've known each other, Ava and James talked a lot in the galley. Ava would always wonder about the way he looked at her. It was clear to her now that James liked her in a different way, if you will. Will, she supposed, just liked her as a good friend. He was too old for her anyway.

Andrew noticed Ava's upset look.

"Ava, what's wrong?"

Ava sighed, frustrated, and cradled her head in her hands.

"I.. I'm…"

She groaned.

Andrew patted her back gently with his hand. At first, he wasn't sure if he should do that. After all, they hadn't seen each other in eleven years and all of a sudden, he was showing signs of affection towards her.

"Ava?" he asked softly.

Ava jerked back up. She faced Andrew.

"I'm right back where I started from, Andrew! I'm exactly where I left off!"

Andrew raised an eyebrow, confused. "What do you mean?"

Ava waved her hands around, upset. "I left home about a week ago! I left because I hated my life. I was going nowhere. I was stuck in a job that I despised. I was just there, living my life for eleven years as a waitress. That's never changed since I got there. I felt like I was running towards something I could never reach! I was aiming for that hope that something good will happen along the way, a miracle or..or something! I wanted that _thing_ to happen to me but it never did. I got sick of it, Andrew! Completely sick of it! I was going nowhere and I hated it. So, I left home, hoping to find that miracle somewhere else. Then I found you and for a few moments, I thought I found it. You were the only extremely good thing that happened so far. Now, I'm going to be dumped off some island and be left to die or get another job as a bloody waitress. I can't do it, Andrew. I can't! I just can't take it anymore!"

Tears started to pour from Ava's eyes. She felt like a fool, crying or being on the verge of crying so many times. She rested her head on her hands again and just cried, not caring if Andrew thought she was weak.

Something struck a chord in Andrew's heart. He felt deeply sorry for his friend. He figured that she'd be well off after she left. He never knew that she had no money and she was sent with no guidance or supervision.

At that moment, he pulled Ava into a deep embrace, almost protecting her from whatever that bothered her. Ava's arms hung loosely by her side. She slowly put them around Andrew, sobbing even more.

"I can't do it, Andrew. It's..it's too hard," she whispered to him.

"It's ok, Ava. You won't go back like that. I swear."

Andrew pulled her closer to him and kissed her cheek.

**Aww… How sweet!**

**I hope it wasn't sappy, cheesy or anything bad. **

**Hoped you liked this chapter. Took me about 2 hours to make, I guess.**

**Don't forget to review! Free cookies if you do!**


	7. Scared

**Yes! Reviews! Success: For a while, I thought you guys have forgotten about me. But, you came back and that's all that matters. Yay!**

**She-Elf4: You're right about Jack not really caring. I changed it, hopefully it's better. ****edit: i _think_ i changed it. i dont remember. hehe**

Ava had been on board _The Mighty_ for 3 days. She hadn't spoken to anyone other than Andrew and occasionally herself, when she wanted to reassure herself that everything would turn out alright.

On the third day, around the afternoon, Ava was sitting in her small room, reading a book on different types of knots. Oh, she didn't find ropes or knots interesting at all, but there was nothing else to read. Andrew had snuck a few books for Ava to read while they were going..somewhere.

Ava just got the most exciting part of her book: how to tie knots for sails! Just then, there was a soft knock on the door. Ava, relieved, looked up and beckoned whoever it was to come in. Slowly, the door opened and it was Andrew.

Ava smiled and put down her book. Andrew came over to her table and sat on it.

"Hey."

Ava smiled more and said hello back.

Andrew motioned his head towards her book. "Which book is that?"

"The Guide to Knots. Thanks for lending it to me. It really is..fascinating."

Andrew chuckled and shrugged. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was in a bit of a hurry."

"No, it's fine. Better than sitting 'round and doing nothing. So, what are you up to today?"

Andrew shrugged again. "Not much. Helping the crew with military business. Quite pointless, really."

Ava nodded. Then there was an awkward silence.

"Care to walk me around the ship for a while?"

"Oh, I can't, Ava. I'm sorry. I have a meeting with the rest of the army. I just came down here to see how you were."

Ava's face fell. She had been awake for 6 hours and all she had done was read about knots. She certainly didn't feel like walking around the ship by herself. Not with all the military around who haven't seen a woman in maybe more than a month.

"Don't be sad, Ava. I'll walk with you later tonight, perhaps. Oh, that reminds me. Hawethorne, our captain, wants to have a chat with you after dinner."

Ava raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Andrew shrugged. "Don't know. It probably has to do with where we're going, I suppose."

Ava nodded and picked up her book again. Andrew began walking towards the door. He looked at Ava who had started to read her book again.

"It's good to see you again, Ava."

Ava looked up and smiled and said, "You, too."

He smiled to himself and left the room. Ava went back to her book.

XXX

It was 7 in the evening. Ava was in her room, sitting idly on her bed, staring at the wall in front of her. She began to hum a tune. No tune in particular, just a song she made up from the top of her head. She then began to tap her feet against the floor.

Just as she was about to sing aloud, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in, Andrew."

The door opened slowly but who she saw at the door was not Andrew, it was some officer.

Ava immediately stood up and looked flustered. "Oh, sorry. I thought you were someone else."

"No. Uh, Miss Benford, Captain Hawethorne wishes that you sup with him."

Ava started to straighten out the dress she was wearing with her hands.

"Yes, I've heard."

"Meet him in the Captains Quarters as soon as you finished preparing yourself."

Ava nodded and the officer returned the gesture and left. She sighed and started to fix her hair. She didn't want to look like a street rat when dining with someone of the British navy.

As Ava was getting ready, she wondered what Hawethorne wanted to talk about. Probably about where she wanted to go next. Ava thought about that. She didn't know where to go. She couldn't go back. How odd would it be that Ava disappears for a while and all of a sudden returns as if everything was normal? No, she couldn't go back there. Her life wasn't there. In fact, she didn't know where she was supposed to be. When she was younger she had hoped that she had found a proper suitor. But, that was before her father lost everything. Now, all she wanted was a place she can really call home and a moment to do something extraordinary. A moment to be a part of something great. Seeing how things were coming along now, chances were that she wasn't going to get that moment. She was close; she found Andrew.

Ava looked in a small mirror she brought with her. She sighed again and headed for Hawethorne's cabin.

As she walked towards his cabin, she passed the room where all the crew members ate. She saw Andrew with a group of his friends, laughing and drinking.

Apparently, Ava was staring for a while because Andrew looked up at her and smirked. A group of the soldiers turned around and smiled mischievously. Ava snapped out of her daze and quickly walked away. The soldiers who turned around turned back to Andrew and started to tease him about his "girlfriend". Ava heard this and chuckled to herself.

Suddenly, she found herself face to face with a tall and muscular soldier. He slowly looked down and said in a deep voice, "You must be Miss Benford. Captain Hawethorne has been waiting for you."

Ava nodded with some fear. This man could crush her! He stepped aside and opened the door for her. She stepped inside and felt a gush of air as the door closed behind her.

Ava found Hawethorne standing behind a table that was covered in food and delicacies.

"Miss Benford, please, be seated."

Ava gulped and sat down. Hawethorne sat opposite of her and smiled a cold smile.

"How has your stay been on this fine ship?"

Ava's eyes shifted. "It's been fine, sir."

He nodded. "Shall we dine, then?"

Ava sat there and nodded slightly. She picked up her fork and knife and started to eat some chicken.

After about half an hour of eating 3 courses, Ava leaned back in her chair and sighed. She was so full. She felt like she couldn't eat ever again.

"It was a fine meal, wasn't it Miss Benford."

Ava sat back up again and nodded. "Yes, sir. Very delicious."

There was another silence between them. Ava wasn't sure what she was doing here. She hadn't talked to Hawethorne about anything other than the food.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking, what was the purpose of you asking me to dine with you?"

Hawethorne cocked his head. "I want to welcome you with a proper meal…"

Ava nodded. "Well, sir, thank you very much. It is late and I must be heading back to my cabin. I'm very tired."

She had started to get up when Hawethorn spoke, "Sit down, Miss Benford. I have more to say to you."

Ava sat back down, with a cautious look on her face. He planned something, she was sure of it.

"I can see through your lies."

Ava started to get nervous. She felt her palms get sweaty. "I don't know what you're-."

"You know very well what I'm talking about! Living in Tortuga? Taking a walk? I've never heard such rubbish in my life."

Ava sat, silent. She was unsure of what to do or think.

"Just what was so important about you being there that made you lie to me?"

"Nothing..sir," said Ava, quietly.

"Answer truthfully, madam! I have no tolerance for those who lie in front of an important figure of the English Royal Navy."

"I did as I said, sir. I was taking a walk."

Hawethorne leaned forward and nodded, still looking at Ava with cold eyes. "So you were just taking a walk, is that right?"

Ava nodded slowly.

All of a sudden, he stood up, making the table shake. Ava was taken aback.

"Then why is it that I saw you walking out of a bar?"

"I was thirsty, sir. When I tried to get away, I was thrown back against the wall. That's why I was seen leaving a bar."

Hawethorne had a disgusted look on his face. "Oh, do you really think that I'm that stupid to believe your story? A story from some bar wench?"

Ava stood up with anger. She made the table shake just as much as Hawthorne.

"How dare you! I am not a wench!"

Hawethorne took a sip from his goblet and mumbled, "Well, you don't do a very good job showing that you're not."

Ava slammed her hands on the table.

"_Captain_ Hawethorne. You have taken this interrogation too far! Let me set the record straight for you. One, I am _not_ a wench! I could have you arrested for insulting a woman with more status and apparently more sense than you! I was more wealthy than you, sir, so you better watch how you use that vile attitude with!"

"You _had_ wealth. Now, you are nothing more than some poor woman with no voice in anything. Not that you had a voice to begin with."

Ava marched towards Hawethorne and felt the urge to spit on his face. She got very close to him and began shouting at him:

"You, sir, have no right to insult me in any way whether I am rich or poor! You want to know what I was doing in Tortuga? I was with a crew getting supplies to go to the Tresoro de Almas! There! I've said it! You've gotten what you've wanted out my 'poor' soul!"

Hawethorne chuckled. "Oh, Miss Beford. I haven't gotten everything from you, yet."

Ava backed away and looked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I'm assuming you've heard the story of the Treasure of Souls, so I wouldn't need to waste time explaining it to you."

Hawethorne paced around the room with his hands behind this back. Ava stood where she was, calming herself down from her rant.

"I'm going after that treasure. The man who takes it shall be wealthier than the king himself! I'm willing to risk anything to get it, even my title as Captain. I won't need that after I get what's mine. But of course, it isn't that simple. You know what needs to be done, right? I'm sure your pirate crew told you all the myths about it."

Ava searched her mind. What happens? Suddenly, a conversation she had between Jack and Will came to her mind. _"Oh, stop being such a sissy, Will. Sure there are some risks such as being sacrificed to a certain god that I haven't mentioned or fallin' 'to booby traps but it's not like anythin's goin' to be a surprise to you anymore…eh?"_ Sacrifice! She was the sacrifice! Her eyes widened with fear.

Hawethorne chuckled. "I see you've realized what your purpose here was.

"You're going to kill me just for some treasure?"

"What's the world's use for a woman like you?"

Ava's breath started to come out quickly and in short breaths. She started to sweat a lot.

"Better go back to your cabin, madam. You said you were tired."

Ava started to back towards the door and hit her back against it. She felt for the doorknob and turned it. She whipped around, trying to run away, but hit the tall officer standing in front of it. Ava pushed him aside and ran to her cabin, passing the room where the other soldiers were.

As Ava ran past the room, crying, Andrew was listening to a story one of his friends was telling. He heard heels in the distance and looked up. He saw Ava running with her face scrunched up in despair. He stood up and walked towards the door.

"'Ey, Andrew, where you goin', mate?" said one of his friends in a thick cockney accent.

"I'll be right back."

That same soldier turned back to his friends and said, "Seems like he's gonna go comfort his lass, eh?"

The table laughed. By then, Andrew was already half way to Ava's room. He walked up to it slowly and knocked on it.

"Go away!" said the voice inside.

Andrew slowly opened the door. He saw Ava sitting on her bed with her knees at her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs. She was sobbing loudly.

"Ava, what's wrong?"

He went in and shut the door behind him. He rushed to Ava's side, sat down on the edge of the bed, putting his hand on her knee and the other hand on her back.

Ava sobbed more.

He rubbed his hand against her back, hoping it'd help her calm down.

"Ava, tell me. What happened?"

She looked up, her face stained with her tears. Her eyes were red and watery.

"Your captain! He's crazy!"

Andrew was puzzled. "What? What do you mean?"

"You've heard of the Treasure of Souls, right?"

Andrew nodded. "It's a myth, that's all I know about it."

Ava shook her head. "No, it's not. It's real. We're going there now."

She took several deep, quick breaths and continued, "You know how there's a sacrifice involved, right, Andrew?"

Andrew gasped and looked into Ava's eyes. "You don't think that-."

Ava held up a finger. "No. I don't think, I _know_. I know he's going to use me as sacrifice. He told me."

Andrew let out a sigh that sounded a bit like a chuckle. "But-but, he's captain. He wouldn't do anything like that. He couldn't."

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"No, no. Of course I do. You've never lied to me before."

Ava wiped her eyes with her hand and sighed. "Andrew?"

He looked up at her, after soaking up whatever she just told him. "Yes?"

Ava looked into his eyes. "I'm scared, Andrew. I'm not ready to leave everything I've worked hard for behind."

Tears started to fall from her eyes once more.

Suddenly, Andrew felt more confidence than he ever felt in his entire life. He hugged Ava. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, never wanting to let him go.

"Ava, nothing, I mean _nothing_ is every going to happen to you. I won't let anything happen to you. I swear."

**Yep there you have it! Sorry it took me ages to update. Hope you guys like this chapter!**


	8. The End

**You are allowed to throw things at me. I haven't updated in forever. **

**This isn't the end of the story, as the title may suggest. It's almost over, though.**

For several days, Ava refused to leave her cabin. Hawethorne scared her like the lack of rum scared Jack. Jack. Will. She hadn't thought about them in a long time. She was too preoccupied with the sudden change in events.

Ava sat on her bed, her legs curled up to her chest. She was biting her lip and staring at a piece of lint on her bed absent mindedly. What was she going to do? Hawethorne wanted to kill her. What _could_ she do? Ava wanted to escape, but how? It'd be a stupid move. They were out in the middle of the ocean. There was no where Ava could go.

Despite her constant thoughts on the Tresoro de Almas and her fate, her worries were temporarily put aside when Andrew came by to comfort her and to look after her.

Andrew wasn't really supposed to be coming down to check after Ava but she was his friend, he had to. If he was found out by Hawethorne, he'd be in serious trouble. In Hawethorne's eyes, Ava was the enemy and the bait.

Ava sighed and replayed their future arrival at the island. Suddenly, the door opened slowly. Ava looked up. She pressed her back against the wall and was ready to jump up and fight if it happened to be Hawethorne at the door. Fortunately, it was Andrew on one of his many frequent visits.

Ava let out a sigh of relief. Andrew smiled at her and sighed as well.

"Andrew, you're not supposed to be here. What if –."

Andrew walked over to Ava and sat on her bed. He calmed her down.

"Ava, don't worry about Hawethorne. No one knows I'm here."

Ava nodded and looked away from Andrew. She didn't know what to do at that moment. She was scared and pretty much alone. She had no one here except Andrew. Speaking of Andrew, he didn't know what to do at that moment, either. He had never been in this sort of situation. He didn't know what was going to happen. He promised Ava that nothing would ever happen to her but how sure can he be about that? Now that he had been brought into this situation, he wasn't sure what can happen. Andrew would fight till the end to keep Ava safe but myths like the Tresoro de Almas aren't known for being predictable.

Andrew looked at Ava and felt bad for her. He knew that she didn't have many people in the world who care for her. He was happy to know that she had at least one person who cared for her: himself. As he looked at her, he felt her pain and sadness. Any human, weak or strong, would be scared if they were in her position.

"Ava, what's your plan of attack?"

Ava looked at him and let out a small chuckle. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't have one. What can I do?"

Andrew shrugged. "Fight back?"

Ava scoffed. "What makes you think that _I_ can fight against a captain with his own army?"

"I'm just saying. Don't let yourself be pushed around. You're not a weakling."

Ava thought about his comment and sighed. She could fight back. She wanted to. Desperately. But how could she? She didn't have her own army like Hawethorne had.

Andrew studied Ava's expression. He knew she was thinking about what he said. He knew that she thought he was right.

After a few moments of contemplating what she should do, Ava sighed and hung her head.

Andrew began to speak but he heard a soft knock on the door. One of his fellow soldiers poked his head through the door which was ajar.

"Andrew, Hawethorne's calling in the soldiers. You had better hurry up unless you want to lose your head."

Andrew looked back at Ava who was idly playing with a piece of string on her dress. He reluctantly got up and left. Ava didn't even look up or say goodbye.

XXXXX

On deck

"Soldiers, line up!"

Hawethorne paced about on deck as his soldiers got into a perfectly straight line. His expression revealed nothing but deep down inside. Deep deep _deep_ down inside, Hawethorne was ecstatic, anxious, and relieved. They (he, really) had made it. They made it to the Tresoro de Almas. He could finally leave behind those worthless, in his opinion, soldiers and take what's his.

"Men! We have arrived upon our destination at precisely the right time. Much thanks to our cartographer."

Several soldiers cheered, happy that they would finally reach land. Hawethorne held up a hand to silence them.

"Tonight, we celebrate our fellow soldiers who are so….so….oh, I don't even know what words to use to describe you. There's a certain spot on this land which I happen to know very well and will make an excellent location for our little…celebration. All men will attend _except_ the girl. I shall like to speak privately with her."

At that last sentence, Hawethorne glanced at Andrew who was glaring at him with suspicion. He couldn't let Hawethorne come near Ava.

The rest of the soldiers, who were completely oblivious to the threatening tone of Hawethorne's voice, broke out in smiles. They would finally reach solid land after many long days out in the sea.

XXXX

Ava heard Hawethorne's speech. She had pressed her ear against the ceiling and faintly heard his words which dripped with lies.

She gulped when he said he wanted to "speak" to her. In reality, it was her death sentence. She would be sacrificed and who knows what would happen next.

Ava sat back down on her bed and just sat there in disbelief. This was the end for her. In just a few hours, she will be dead, the treasure will be Hawethorne's and basically all Hell will break loose. If Hawethorne had that much power, he could do anything. And what about Andrew? And Jack? And Will? What would happen to them? Would they be ok? She hoped so.

Ava hoped Andrew would come back down to her and comfort her. She always felt safe and content when he was around to remind her that everything was going to be fine, even though sometimes it didn't seem like it would. Unfortunately, he never came.

She sat on her bed until it got dark. The ship had reached its destination. Ava was about to meet her fate.

Surprisingly, Ava didn't feel nervous. She knew she should be but she just didn't feel it. She didn't know what she felt. Whatever it was, it was not what a normal human being would feel if they were in her situation.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on her door. She allowed her visitor to come in, half expecting it to be Andrew. But, no. It was Hawethorne. Ava immediately tensed up. She pressed her self against the wall, wishing she would just disappear.

"Good evening, Miss Benford. Pleasant night we're having, don't you think?"

Ava didn't reply.

"I'm sure you are aware that we have, in fact, stopped sailing. We have reached the Tresoro de Almas."

Ava quivered in fear.

"Just let me go," she said with a shaky voice.

Hawethorne just grinned. "If I do, then who will be my sacrifice? If I let you go, I won't get my treasure."

"Get one of your soldiers to do it for you."

Ava was starting to build up bravery. She stood her ground, for now.

However, her remark didn't have the effect she wanted it to have on him. He just grinned even more.

"You mean your soldier friend, Andrew?"

Ava's jaw dropped. He wouldn't use Andrew! Would he? Ava was unsure of everything at the moment.

Ava shook her head 'no'. Hawethorne was about to break into a laugh and nodded yes.

"Believe it, Miss Benford. Either you come with me, or your 'lover' endures a wretched and painful death."

Ava made her decision. This time, she was sure of it. She wouldn't go back now. Not after he threatened the only person who was truly there for her.

"Fine. I'll go."

Hawethorne smiled, "There's a good girl. We leave in several hours."

Hawethorne turned and was about to exit when he turned around again and said, matter-of-factly, "Oh, and if you tell anyone about this, be it known to you that your precious Andrew will be the first to suffer. It'll be our little secret."

XXXXX

Several hours after listening to Hawethorne give her an ultimatum, it was time for all aboard the ship to set off towards the Tresoro de Almas.

Ava stepped outside of her cabin and felt the cool Caribbean breeze on her face. This would be the last time she experienced this wind of tranquility.

She went towards the side of the ship and leaned against the railing and sighed. This was it. How could she tell Andrew that this was the last time that they would ever see each other?

Fortunately, Hawethorne was busy talking with some soldiers, so Ava had a few moments to herself. The rest of the crew were mingling with each other, not noticing Ava.

Andrew came over to her. He had been watching her intently. His heart nearly broke when he realized that this was the end. Or was it? He knew he had to do something, but he didn't know what. For now, he decided to comfort her.

Andrew reached out and touched Ava's shoulder. She jumped, startled at his touch. She turned around and felt relieved. She thought it was Hawethorne.

"Hey…" he said.

Ava turned around, ignoring him. She didn't want to hear him say that everything was going to be ok. Clearly, it wasn't.

"Ava, can we talk? In private?"

Ava slowly turned around and followed Andrew to the back of the ship, where there was nobody there. Again, Ava leaned against the railing, staring into the sea trailing after the ship.

"Are you scared?" asked Andrew.

Ava glanced up at him and shook her head.

"No. Just sad that I won't see you anymore."

Another crack formed in Andrew's heart. He smiled sadly.

Ava turned back to look at the ocean but suddenly turned back to Andrew.

"No, I mean, yes. I am afraid. I don't want to die. Not now, anyways. There's a time when everyone dies but I know that it's not my time. I'm not ready to leave just yet. I have several things I want to do."

Andrew cocked his head in curiosity. "Like what?"

Ava crossed her arms and glared off to her side. "Well, first off, I want to gut that old fool for saying that y—. For using me to get his stupid, bloody treasure."

Ava decided to leave the fact that Hawethorne would kill Andrew out. She couldn't even say those words. She would've broken down.

Andrew, however, chuckled. He loved that she can bring some laughter, no matter how small, into a dark situation.

"Secondly, I want to say that I lo—."

Ava stopped. What she was about to say would be either a big mistake or the greatest thing she had ever done. She bit her lip, not sure whether she should say it or not.

Ava started to try again when Andrew took her hands and stopped her.

"Ava, I'm running out of time to tell you this. I wish I didn't have to tell you this this way, but I don't know what's going to happen."

Ava was stunned. This was the first time she ever sensed fear in his voice. She had always imagined him as a young man with no fears. What exactly was making him afraid?

Andrew took several deep breaths, trying to gain composure. He looked at Ava; into her eyes.

"Ever since we were little, I've always considered you my best friend. Nothing could've changed that. And now, I find you after all these years and I learn so much more about you that I feel that I've gone from liking you as a friend to something more."

Ava blinked. Could he be trying to say what she wanted to say?

"Ava, I lo—."

"Professing your love to one another, are we?" a voice said behind them.

The two turned around and saw Hawethorne standing with some soldiers behind him.

"Gents, separate these two. We leave now to the Tresoro de Almas."

As several soldiers split the pair apart, Hawethorne walked up to Ava and pulled out a pistol and cocked it. He pointed it to her head.

"Oh, Miss Benford, this is going to be grand. The world will be rid of a distracting, stupid girl and I will have what's rightfully mine."

Ava squirmed, starting to feel scared. Andrew tried to break free, but he was held onto tightly.

Hawethorne leaned in to Ava's ear, still holding the gun to her head.

"Don't think dear Andrew is going to save you this time."

He pulled back and commanded his soldiers to take them to the location of the treasure.

And so Ava and Andrew were separated. The rest of the soldiers not involved in Hawethorne's plot were sent to set up camp in a deserted, far off location. Hawethorne hoped that they could be killed by whatever creature lived there. He hoped to be rid of the soldiers that helped him as soon as he got his treasure and was back home. He had no need for them anymore.

Andrew's fate would be much worse. He would have to sit and watch Ava being sacrificed. To Hawethorne, it would be the icing on top of a very delicious cake. For Andrew, it would be worse than death itself.

**Ok, I'm realllyyyyyy sorry for not updating in a gajillion years. I've had no time at all. **

**Hopefully you'll like this chapter. : **

**Happy Holidays, by the way!!**


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